Patrol

Virginia Officer Helps Homeless Family, Inspires Others

June 18, 2015

Photo: Virginia Beach PD Facebook Page

A Virginia Beach, Va., police officer is getting accolades from his department and the community for a random act of kindness, reports WAVY-TV.

A witness at a Wawa gas station on Ferrel Parkway noticed Officer Grant Wylie talking to a couple with a baby. They were in a van holding a sign that read, “We have lost everything and are in need of any help you can give.”

Brad Kortbawi described what happened next in a Facebook post:

"I’ve noticed this van and couple in the same spot now for two straight days. I wasn’t sure why the cop was approaching them, but what I witnessed gave me faith in man kind again and also reminded me that there really are some good people on the police force. Officer Wylie directed the man to pull his van over to the Wawa gas pumps and proceeded to pull out his own wallet and use his own credit card to fill up this man’s van."

Kortbawi also posted that he and another patron gave the family money, following Officer Wylie’s act of kindness.

The Virginia Beach Police Department posted a note of gratitude on Facebook to Kortbawi for bringing the act into the public eye.

The chief of the Nashville Metro Police Department took to Twitter late last week to plead for citizens to thank a police officer, appreciate the difficulty of their jobs, and understand that despite being fewer in numbers officers are being asked to do more and more every day.

The Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy posted on Facebook, "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Master Sergeant Daniel Hinton. Master Sergeant Hinton suffered cardiac arrest during a training exercise and was transported to Gulf Coast Hospital where he later passed away."